From the Washington post
Obama calls for expanded U.N. security council with India as permanent member
Discussion Policy
By Emily Wax and Rama Lakshmi
Monday, November 8, 2010; 7:31 AM
NEW DELHI- Pr
esident Obama said Monday that the United States would support adding India as a permanent member of an expanded U.N. Security Council--a powerful endorsement of India's growing global aspirations offered on the final day of his India visit.
Obama made the statement in a speech to India's parliament, at a time when Washington is seeking to deepen its economic and defense relationship with the world's biggest democracy. India has campaigned hard for a U.N. seat, long a subtext of a warming India and U.S. relationship.
"Let me say it as clearly as I can: the United States not only welcomes India as a rising global power, we fervently support it, and we have worked to help make it a reality," Obama said.
"We salute India's long history as a leading contributor to United Nations peacekeeping missions," Obama added. "And we welcome India as it prepares to take its seat on the United Nations Security Council. "
Japan is the only other nation Obama has endorsed for a permanent seat on the security council, whose expansion is strongly opposed by other key nations.
India would have a special challenge winning the support of permanent security council member China, India's economic rival.
Critics also say India is a violator of many U.N. resolutions, especially in regard to its efforts to quell unrest in the war-torn Himalayan province of Kashmir, a majority-Muslim region that is a stubborn point of tension between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan. This summer, Indian security forces shot and killed over 100 stone-throwing youth in Kashmir. 
The United Nation's Human Development report said that India fares worse than Pakistan on gender equality issues such as a maternal mortality, education and nutrition.
But within India, which a few weeks ago was elected one of 10 non-permanent, members of the security council, getting a permanent seat is seen as an honor and recognition of power that the nation has earned.
One Indian announcer praised Obama's endorsement of India as a "tribute to 1.2 billion people." Others called it an high note coming on the third and last day of Obama's India trip.
"India's position has been that we are not asking this prematurely, we are asking for it at a time when it is more or less irrefutable," said Srinath Raghavan, a senior Fellow at New Delhi's Center for Policy Research. "The key attribute of a great power is not just military or economic power, but the ability to set the agenda of international politics. The U.N. Security Council has a great deal of control over what is discussed."
It was not clear until shortly before his parliamentary address that Obama would offer the endorsement. Before the president left Washington, he said that a permanent seat for India was "complicated," and India erupted in anger.
India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, declined the offer of a permanent seat that was made in 1955 by the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Nerhu instead said it should be given to China, a nation which he long admired. 
Earlier Monday, Obama pledged to strengthen U.S.-India efforts to fight and prevent terrorism and to work with all South Asian nations to deny safe havens to terrorists.
But at a joint news conference with Praising Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Obama steered clear of the contentious issue of trying to mediate long-standing tensions between India and arch-rival and nuclear neighbor Pakistan over Kashmir.
Obama said the United States "cannot impose a solution" between India and Pakistan. He said his country is "happy to play any role the parties think is appropriate," but added that the two neighbors will have to "find mechanisms to work out these very difficult issues."
These were heartening words for Indian officials, who want the United States to play a role in curbing the activities of Islamic militant groups in Pakistan but at the same time stay out of facilitating a resolution over the core conflict of Kashmir.
The Muslim-majority province has been demanding independence from India for many decades now, and Pakistan has supported those aspirations by sending trained militants into Kashmir to aid in the struggle. The two nations have fought three wars since gaining independence from British colonial rule.
Singh said that dialogue with Pakistan cannot succeed as long as Pakistani groups continue to stage terror attacks in India.
"You cannot simultaneously be talking and at the same time the terror machine is as active as before," Singh said. "Once Pakistan moves away from this terror-induced coercion, we will be very happy to engage productively with Pakistan and resolve all outstanding issues."
Obama also said that the United States will work with India and its neighbors to improve security at ports, airports and border areas, "to ensure there are no safe havens for terrorists," Obama said.
Announcing a range of agreements with India in the field of counter-terrorism, nuclear non-proliferation, agriculture, education and clean energy, Obama said that the two democracies have a responsibility to lead the global efforts on combating extremist violence and controlling the spread of nuclear weapons in the world.
"Ours is not an ordinary relationship," Obama said about ties with India. "As the world's largest democracies, as growing market economies, we have not only an opportunity but also a responsibility to lead."
Obama said the United States will take Indian defense organizations off a list of companies prohibited from receiving dual-use high technology exports. The U.S. will also work with India in strengthening weather and crop forecasting technology, and will partner with India to set up a global disease detection center and a clean energy research initiative.
The two countries will meet at a higher education summit next year and establish new centers to curb nuclear proliferation.
